


Love Will Never Paullus Apart

by Polybaeus



Series: Parro [2]
Category: Ancient Carthage RPF, Ancient History RPF, Ancient Rome RPF, Carthage RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-22
Updated: 2014-12-22
Packaged: 2018-03-02 21:35:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2826896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Polybaeus/pseuds/Polybaeus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The sequel to 'The Bow to My Varro'.</p><p>After the disastrous Battle of Cannae, Varro walks across the battlefield and tries to forgive himself for what happened.</p><p>Very short Parro one-shot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love Will Never Paullus Apart

Varro waded through the field of bodies. Everywhere he looked, he saw a dead man, usually a Roman. He was on the verge of tears. All this was his fault. Part of it was Paullus's as well but Varro didn't want to think about it. To him, everything that had happened on the bloody fields of Cannae was his fault.  
  
He fell to his knees. He stared blankly at the man in front of him. Varro pulled the sword out of the man's chest and laid it vertically down his chest. Then Varro took a limp, icy hand and lifted it to his lips. He shivered.  
  
'I am so sorry,' he croaked, his voice almost lost in the stillness. 'I am so very sorry.'  
  
He let the man's hand fall and mumbled, 'You were right, my love. Of course you were. You always are. Why did I not listen?! Why?' he cried out in despair. He wiped a silver tear from his eye and placed his wet finger to the dead man's lips. 'I am so very sorry,' he repeated. 'Now you are with the gods and will receive all of heaven's graces, as you deserve. You will be welcomed in with a fanfare as the man who would have saved Rome if Varro had listened. I tried to be brave for you, Lucius, and I failed. I tried to be clever to show off to you, Lucius, and I failed. Now I am punished for these failures. I am here on this earth still. Still forced to live every day without you!' Varro began to weep. 'Because it is all my fault! The guilty survive but the innocent die. Why, o Jupiter?!' he begged. 'Why?!' he sobbed. 'Lucius, my love, I vow that I shall never take up arms against the tyrants who killed you! I shall live the life you wanted me to. Revenge will come in the way of Hannibal Barca one day, but it shall not be at my hand. And I also vow,' the tears fell quicker and harsher down his face, 'that I shall always love you.'  
  
Suddenly, Varro heard the sound of horses galloping towards the field. And not just any horses, he knew: Carthaginian horses. The horses that had probably caused the death of his only love.  
  
Varro hauled himself up, almost stumbling over back into the dead man's arms in the process. 'Goodbye, Lucius,' he rasped. 'I will always love you.'  
  
Then, in fear of his own life, he fled the field, taking every thought of his dead lover with him.


End file.
